A Temporary Diversion
by TVFanoftheYear
Summary: She was only supposed to be in D.C. for a week, but when Shane's temporary reassignment gets unexpectedly extended, she starts to miss her friends back home.
1. Complications

Shane was exhausted. She had been in Washington, D.C. for 10 days now providing technical assistance consulting to the IT division. They were implementing a new computer managed delivery system with the intent to roll the system out nationwide. Some technical glitches prevented the new and old programs from translating information properly between them had extended her temporary reassignment order from one week to potentially two or three.

She had been hesitant to accept Becky's initial offer, but was dying to see her again after her visit to Denver more than six months ago. The offer seemed more and more attractive the longer she thought about it. Besides, it was getting Shane back to her postal roots to some degree and she wanted to see if she still had what it took to hang with her D.C. counterparts.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful opportunity," Oliver had said.

Shane broke the news to Norman, Rita and Oliver one afternoon between "missions" as Norman liked to call them.

"It certainly sounds exciting!" Rita chimed in, always a source of support.

"Well, when Washington calls…" Shane laughed, "It should only be for about a week. I'll be back before you know it."

Oliver, who had been standing behind his desk, made his way around to the front, leaning against it before folding his arms.

"A week is enough time for another important letter to providentially find its way to our office and prompt personal delivery, Miss McInerney. How are we to complete our appointed tasks without your invaluable services?" Oliver questioned teasingly.

"Well we could always Skype, Oliver," Shane replied playfully. "You do know what that is, right?" She continued, making her way to her mobile workspace.

Oliver tried very hard to repress the smile tugging at his lips. And though he couldn't see it, Shane was attempting to do the same.

"Indeed, I do, Miss McInerney."

Those were the moments she remembered as she tried to regroup her team, charged with running diagnostics on this new system to identify and begin resolving the issues that plagued it at 9pm on a Friday.

"Alright people, we're already 3 days outside our launch window-it's going to be a long night," She said to the five other technical assistance consultance drafted from across the country to aid in the efforts and of which Becky had placed her in charge.

"Does this mean I'm back on coffee duty?" A voice questioned, slightly exasperated.

All eyes were drawn to the opposite side of the room where a brunette with glasses, hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, no older than 17 or 18 years of age, made her presence known by standing.

"Unfortunately for you-fortunately for us-yes, Kennedy, you are," another voice replied.

Jackson Hines, the Chief Information Officer for the District of Columbia Main Branch, didn't hesitate to put the teenager in her place.

Unfortunately for Shane, this was an area over which she had no control. Kennedy's internship was to be overseen by one supervisor and one supervisor only-Jackson. That hadn't prevented Shane from working with Kennedy over the past 10 days, but it did mean she was subject to whatever restrictions Jackson placed on her direct involvement in the work. It seemed counterintuitive to the point of an internship, but it was something for which Shane had little recourse. Kennedy was bright, so seeing her potential stifled was a little frustrating.

"Team, let's get back to work," Shane directed. Laptops began to open and Kennedy, with as much grace as she could muster, began taking coffee orders.

Shane returned to her section of code, but as she did the term "zip code" crossed her mind, and her thoughts drifted back to Denver-to Rita, Norman and Oliver.

She had spent the early part of her career doing exactly what she was doing now, writing code and performing maintenance tasks on the computer managed delivery systems. But somehow, only returning for a brief stint, she suddenly began to miss the unpredictability of the DLO. She missed the human element above all, both in the letters they delivered and the people she worked with.

She wondered what they were up to. Was it business as usual, or did they have another mystery on their hands? Was Norman piecing clues together with one of his volumes upon volumes of directories and registries? Was Rita reciting a letter back to Oliver and Norman, the words sounding like poetry? Was Oliver, in between tasks, looking towards her workspace only to be reminded she was on the other side of the country-?

"Half-Caff Vanilla Latte?"

Shane was drawn back to reality by Kennedy's offer of liquid fuel.

"Thanks, Kennedy."

Having delivered her last coffee, Kennedy alleviated herself of the drink carrier and pulled out a chair at the table next to Shane.

"Any luck?" She said, pushing her glasses gingerly further back up on her nose.

"None yet." Shane replied, refocusing her efforts.

_Shhhhhh_

The sound drew Shane's attention back to Kennedy.

"What?"

And that's when she saw it, in all its yellow and blue labeling and chocolate milk goodness.

"Where did you get that?" She said.

"Don't tell Jackson. I know he said to go to the coffee shop and come straight back, but I was really thirsty and stopped off to get a Yoohoo-you're not gonna say anything, are you?" Kennedy implored.

"I prefer to say as little as possible to your mentor," Shane replied. "It's just that I know someone who has an affinity for them back home. He has at least one every day-"

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"No."

"Then why are your cheeks turning pink?"

"Kennedy, don't you have some intern task you could go do…." Shane intimated, hoping the teen would avoid any further probing.

"Okay, okay-but I can't help it I'm curious," Kennedy relented, but didn't move a muscle. She just stared at Shane intently.

And Shane could feel Kennedy's eyes boring into her.

Shane bit, "You won't leave my side until I answer your question, will you?"

"It's your choice, and I know you can multi-task….and it's gonna be a long night. Why not a little girl chat?"

Shane looked around the room, once more reminded that this cohort did not, in fact, include any other women.

"It's complicated, and that's all the answer you're entitled to," Shane responded.

"Is he handsome?"

Shane looked around the room, wondering if her answer would be overheard. It would not, as every other one of her colleagues had opted for headphones while they worked to concentrate.

What could it hurt to engage this young person whom she somehow felt was a kindred spirit, even at her young age?

"Yes."

"Got a picture?"

Shane had no idea what possessed her to not only facilitate, but also encourage, the curiosity of this intern. She just really liked her. She fished her phone out of her laptop bag and searched her phone for a shot of her, Oliver, Rita and Norman at a ski resort in Veil. They had delivered a letter to the owner of a ski resort there, who graciously allowed the foursome to stay a few days, which they gratefully accepted. They had had a really good time, and Shane insisted they take a group selfie. She wanted some record of the time she was spending with these wonderful people who had become like family.

"That's him," Shane confirmed, her finger pointed to a very happy Oliver in one of those plaid lumberjack hats with the earflaps-they all four had them.

"But he's not your boyfriend?" Kennedy seemed excessively confused.

"No, because, like I said before, it's complicated."

"Well is he married?"

"Not anymore-"

"Single?"

"Yes, but-"

"What's the problem?!" Kennedy whispered fiercely, "He's so good looking!"

"The problem it…it's complicated!" Shane whispered back.

"Excuses, excuses…." Kennedy taunted.

"He's a gentleman. It's not my responsibility to make the first move," Shane defended.

"So you _do_ have feelings for him?"

"I have indulged your curiosity enough for one night, missy," Shane said, putting a stop to it. She really needed to get back to the task at hand.

Kennedy started to get up and move on to another task.

"Take the Yoohoo," Shane directed, seeming to notice Kennedy leaving it there as some sort of reminder of her "complication." She could see right through this girl. And it frustrated her in a laughable way because all Shane could see was herself.

"As you wish," Kennedy said, pleased with herself and not afraid to non-verbally admit what she had knowingly done.


	2. Wish You Were Here

It was a thought that had crossed her mind several times, but that this intern had managed to thrust to the forefront.

_Why not just write him-them-a letter?_

So Shane, running on only 4 hours sleep, was up bright and early at 8am at a local paper store buying stationary to write a letter to her friends in Denver. She felt like she had something she had to and wanted to say to these people that she had traveled with and spent time with in ways she had never done before, all in the name of delivering letters that made a difference in people's lives.

Could she have picked up a phone and called them? Probably.

Could she have drafted an email? Easily.

But today, exasperated at the advent of computers if only because they were the reason for her extended absence from her own bed and her own, less tech-oriented and far more dynamic day job, all Shane wanted to do was communicate clearly and concisely with other human beings in the form of the written word.

So during her lunch break, in the HQ Café, affectionately known as "The Triangle," Shane sat down to write. She had no plans for what she would say, but the sheer action of putting pen to paper was cathartic.

* * *

><p>13 days.<p>

By Oliver's count, that was exactly how long it had been since Miss McInerney had been recalled to the nation's capital in aid of the United States Postal Service.

He hadn't meant to notice-but it was hard not to. The energy of the DLO was slightly-off. And each day, as Oliver passed the threshold into their inner sanctum, Miss McInerney's work station noticeably empty, he was forced to contend with that atmospheric imbalance.

It wasn't something he shared with Rita or Norman, though he could tell they sensed a similar void. Unfortunately for them, there was little that could be done about the situation but await her return.

"Uh, excuse me," A voice said.

Rita, Norman and Oliver's attention was drawn to the recently opened doors.

"I have a letter for this office," a teenager, no more than 17 or 18, continued.

"Has it been properly processed?" Oliver inquired.

"Yes, but not here."

By this time Oliver had risen from his desk to meet their visitor, his curiosity rising.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's addressed to this office," the young man continued, handing the letter over.

Rita and Norman, in their piqued curiosity, joined Oliver.

"Thank you very much, young man, we'll take it from here," Oliver thanked him.

"Postal Museum 2014 Commemorative stamp," Norman observed.

"Care of Dead Letters," Rita read aloud.

Oliver suddenly had a feeling about this letter, "It's from Shane."

He made his way back to the desk for one of his many letter openers. He realized immediately that he seemed uncharacteristically eager to open the letter, and made a conscious effort to slow down.

Oliver was impressed. As he retrieved Shane's letter from the envelope, he noted the high quality paper and her rather lovely penmanship. It was exciting to see, and even more so since it was addressed, apparently, to the Dead Letter Office.

Rita and Norman gathered around expectantly.

Oliver cleared his throat, a smile tugging at his lips even at her greeting.

_Dear Fellow POstables,_

_Greetings from Washington, D.C.! Hopefully by the time you read this I will be back at the Denver office working alongside you again. It's been quite a long week and a half and I'm looking forward to returning to our elite team of postal detectives._

_It's rare that I'm reminded just how complicated our little enterprise is than when I'm forced to work on the mechanisms that facilitate it. This project is one of those rare occasions. Our initial tests on the new system have not been as successful as anticipated, and every new challenge almost ensures an extension of my trip. But even so, I am reminded each day how important, and even therapeutic, it can be to sit down and put pen to paper._

_As I'm doing this, I should probably tell you that they have something here a lot like our Mailbox Grille that they call "The Triangle." I wish you guys could see this place-it isn't anything like a triangle. Apparently it's some kind of inside joke around here that no one really knows quite what the joke is. Their breakfasts aren't as good as ours are-but that's not the point._

_The point is that I miss you all and I wish I could be there. Better yet, I wish you were here._

_See you soon,_

_Shane_

_P.S. Oliver- you'll appreciate this-I have met another person who shares your affinity for Yoohoo. She's an intern here with a lot of potential and I think you two would get along great!_

"We wish you were here, too," Rita sighed.

"I'm sure she doesn't mean she wishes we were there. If we were all in Washington, D.C., who would be here to watch the office?" Norman pondered aloud.

Oliver, at least at this point, hadn't quite listened to anything past Shane's admission that she wished they could all be together again. He wasn't sure why "I wish you were here" grabbed his attention in quite the way it had. Oliver had almost heard Shane in his head while he was reading the letter, but when it got to that point it felt like she was somehow speaking to him directly, not to mention her mention of Yoohoo, which would always get his attention.

It was at that point an idea popped into Oliver's head. It was highly irregular and perhaps even presumptuous to some extent. The more it had the opportunity to sink in, though, the more he felt a very deep conviction that it should, indeed, be something he pursued.

"Rita, remind me how much vacation I have," Oliver asked.

She took a minute to think, "18 weeks, 6 days."


	3. Girl Talk

"So, Shaney, tell me-how much do you love being back?"

It always made Shane feel better to see Becky, and she was grateful to be somewhere other than in front of her computer for once in her life. Sitting outside on the plaza, the warmth of the sun on her face and a raspberry lemonade in hand was doing a world of good for her mental health at that exact moment.

"I do- but it's definitely different," Shane began, choosing her words carefully because the offer to come to D.C. had been Becky's idea and she didn't want to sound ungrateful or critical.

"After joining the Dead Letter Office, I started to forget about the technical minutiae of computer managed delivery systems. I really like being able to put all my skills to use-but not like I used to when technical assistance consulting was my primary role. The realization has been this weird thing that's happened to me over the past two weeks," Shane explained.

"You use them now to change people's lives," Becky replied, "The PG doesn't pass out Dark of Night awards to just anyone, Shaney."

Shane smiled, "That's very true. Still can't believe that happened. I know you had something to do with it."

"Don't look at me. The world has a mysterious way of putting things together…" Becky's tone suggested she was about to change the subject and Shane could feel it coming and the direction it was going in.

"You know, Oliver polishes our awards at least once a week now," Shane offered. If this conversation was going to take place, it would do so on her terms.

"Is that so? That's interesting…"

"What is?" Shane replied, slightly confused.

"That you would bring him up."

"Why?"

"Mostly because I didn't ask. But since you've brought it up I can ask you anything-"

Shane wondered how she misread the direction of the conversation. Perhaps she was projecting?

"Last time we talked he was waiting on his wife to return from Paris, and you were supposed to be getting yourself back into circulation. Which one of those things have you focused your attention on since then?" Becky responded, knowing Shane well enough to surmise the answer.

And Shane took too long to respond, making the answer obvious.

"_Oh, Shaney_…." Becky replied, a little exasperated.

"Becky, I spend so much time with Oliver, Rita and Norman going from place to place and delivering letters-your doing, I will remind you-that I don't have time to date. Whatever happens beyond that is purely a product of divine intervention."

"But he's married-"

"Things have changed," Shane said simply, "And his marital status is one of them."

"Well that's quite the development," Becky admitted, leaning forward in her chair out of increasing interest.

"We're just friend, Becky. But I will admit we are closer friends than we were six months ago."

"Do you think he's interested?" Becky probed. Her last conversation with Oliver, right before she had bestowed the Dark of Night award upon him and his team, he had said something that stuck with her, "The truth shall set you free." Of course she knew it was a bible verse and it was in response to her admission that she'd told Shane the truth about Oliver overhearing their conversation. But somehow she had gotten the distinct feeling they were talking about more truths than were readily apparent.

"I don't know," Shane sighed. It was a question she wrestled with herself. Sometimes she thought she saw something, other times she was simply drawn to him in that inexplicable way that she had been from day one. Somewhere deep inside, she could feel the energy shifting slowly but deliberately between her and Oliver. Where it would go next was a mystery to her.

"Well it's very clear to me that even if you don't know if he's interested, you certainly are."

"And if he was, he is well within his rights to do something about it."

"Sometimes men just need a little push."

"No pushing!" Shane whispered fiercely in the midst of an embarrassed laugh, "None. Whatsoever."

"I really should have required your taskforce to check in with me more often…" Becky taunted.

"As much as I would love to sit here and debate my life choices with you-I need to get back to work," Shane concluded.

"Yeah, I bet you do…." Becky replied.

"But before I do, there's an intern I'd like to talk to you about…."

* * *

><p><em>Day 14.<em>

It was the first thought that crossed Shane's mind as she sat down at the head of the conference room table just after her midday break with Becky. As the lead on the taskforce, she was required to write a report for the Postmaster General's Office on their progress.

The funny thing about coming back to D.C. was that while she got a chance to catch up with Becky, an overwhelming majority of her time had been spent sitting in the same internal conference room with no view of the outside and limited interaction with the outside world to the extent it could be helped. Shane suspected a fair amount of texting and tweeting was taking place among her colleagues, but when the people you'd most like communicate with for the most part disavow those modes of interaction, one isn't left with many options.

"Goodafternoon!"

Shane's attentions turned to a rather chipper Kennedy, Yoohoo in hand, reporting for her afternoon internship duties.

"Hello, Kennedy. Good to see our late night didn't turn you into a zombie today," Shane greeted.

"I know, right? I just woke up this morning really upbeat. It's hard to explain, but it's like something inside me anticipates it being a really good day. So far, it has," Kennedy replied.

Shane knew exactly that feeling. Though she would have probably described it as an overwhelming feeling of being alive, entered and firmly grounded to what's real and true and good in the world. At least that's how she felt each day going into the Dead Letter Office. That was the irony of working in the Dead Letter Office-nothing about it was dead, instead it carried the very essence of life in and out of its doors each day, Shane and her colleagues the careful stewards.

"I know what you mean," she replied simply.

Kennedy pulled out a chair next to Shane and sat down, pulling out her laptop, "So what are we doing this afternoon?"

"What do you mean, what are we doing? I'm drafting a progress report for the PG's office and you're doing whatever Jackson has assigned you to."

"Jackson isn't assigning me anything anymore. I got called into the Chief Summer Associate Supervisor's office at like, 8am. She told me I'd been recommended for the Executive Summer Program," Kennedy squealed, "They're going to pay me and I've been assigned to this taskforce as an analyst!"

Shane tried to process what Kennedy was telling her. She knew she'd put in a good word for her with Becky, but this was certainly a definitive upgrade. All she had suggested was a transfer of supervision.

"Well, congratulations, Kennedy-that's excellent."

"It's a dream come true is what it is. Both my mom and dad were in the executive program. Now they each have supervisory positions at different post offices here in the D.C. area. It was kind of a disappointment to them when I got the internship rather than this program. They didn't say that, of course, but I could tell they were hoping for more. You know I could go almost anywhere in the system once I graduate college if this goes well?" Kennedy explained.

"That I do," Shane replied, "But if you're going to be one of my analysts, you're going to need a second monitor. Do you know where to get one from?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Shane had to admit she was kind of excited for Kennedy-and for the fresh pair of eyes.

_Maybe, just maybe…._

"Hey, Shane, come here!" Kennedy whispered fiercely from the doorway.

"What? Why?"

"You're gonna want to see this. There's this _really_ good looking guy in the hallway…"

"Kennedy, this is not the time."

"And he looks kind of familiar-He's looking for….well, you…"

"Nice try," she scoffed. If she thought she was going to make her look-she had another thing coming.

"I've never seen more color coordination in my life. Wow, he looks good in a suit," Kennedy swooned.

Now she had Shane's attention. She joined Kennedy at the door, but when she peaked around the frame she was speechless.


	4. Special Delivery

Shane ducked back into the conference room and dragged Kennedy with her before Oliver had a chance to see either of them.

"What are you doing?!" Kennedy whispered fiercely, not sure why she was assisting in hiding Shane when there was a perfectly handsome man walking towards their conference room.

"I don't know-," Shane whimpered.

There was a light knock on the door.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for-Miss McInerney," OIiver greeted, a boyish smile spreading across his face. It was as if he'd expected more time to prepare for actually seeing her than he had walking into the room.

It was everything Shane could do to prevent herself from launching into a slew of questions, or giving away that she'd already seen him. She managed with a nervous laugh, "Oliver! What a surprise!"

She could see Kennedy behind him rolling her eyes. Apparently her performance wasn't convincing the teenager.

It was only then that Shane noticed the square vase containing a small arrangement of assorted purple flowers and some white roses Oliver was clutching. Her gaze must have reminded Oliver he had them because he closed the distance between them and sat the arrangement next to her laptop.

"These are for you," he gestured, obviously proud.

"And they are lovely, Oliver-and unexpected. Kind of like you...here...in D.C." Shane continued on, trying desperately to rid them of the elephant in the room. She had never felt as quite off guard as she did standing there in front of Oliver in a conference room that only seemed to get smaller by the second.

"You certainly are to the point, Miss McInerney. Your letter seemed to indicate that you were in need of some company, and since it is high time Norman have the opportunity to manage the daily goings on of the Dead Letter Office, it seemed an appropriate time to take some vacation," Oliver explained.

"How did you even find me?" Shane asked, realizing there was no way he just happened upon the USPS headquarters.

"Well, upon arriving in Washington, I made a call to Miss Starkwell," Oliver explained. "She was very helpful."

"Yep, that's Becky-always a helper," Shane laughed, starting to wonder if her friend had known about Oliver's presence in D.C. when she had invited Shane for lunch.

"Oh, and, of course, Norman and Rita send their regards," Oliver added, slightly embarrassed he had almost forgotten to pass them along, "Your prolonged absence has been deeply felt."

And then another one of those moments happened. One of those moments where Shane sensed the subtle shift in his tone and meaning, but her brain refused to complete an interpretation. He looked desperate to say something, but afraid he had already said too much, the happy medium hanging somewhere in the space between them.

A cough broke the pregnant silence.

"Oh, Oliver, this is Kennedy," Shane sputtered. "She's an intern here-recently accepted into the Executive Program."

"Congratulations, Kennedy. It's a pleasure to meet the bright future of our timeless institution," Oliver said, extending his hand.

Kennedy shook it back, her cheeks impossibly red. "I really like Yoohoo," she admitted, the randomness of the statement dawning on her immediately, causing her to chastise herself internally.

"So you must be the young lady Miss McInerney referred to in her letter. It's always nice to meet a fellow enthusiast," Oliver replied.

As he responded, a flurry of facial expressions passed between Shane and Kennedy. Kennedy surprised Shane had mentioned her in a letter and Shane attempting to shoe the teenager away.

"Kennedy, don't you think it's about time you went and got that monitor we were discussing earlier?" Shane reminded her.

Kennedy fumbled for a minute, trying to figure out how she could opt not to get the monitor and continue to watch the situation unfolding in front of her. She gave up.

"Yes, yes...it is," the teen nodded, walking backwards out the door to miss as little as possible as she departed.

"So, how are things back at the DLO?" Shane continued, wondering whether or not Kennedy was actually retrieving the monitor or had merely resorted to eavesdropping from the hallway.

"They are well. Mostly business as usual. But there was a minor scare on the sorted floor the other day that cleared the building. Apparently a college student decided to mail themselves various baking supplies, one of which bore a resemblance to a potentially dangerous substance for which the local health department was called in to investigate," Oliver explained, a laugh escaping his lips. "It was only powdered sugar."

"They probably just wanted to make some peanut butter and banana pancakes with a little topping," Shane replied with a smile.

"It's funny you should say that, because after we were allowed back into the building it was about time for dinner. Norman suggested we go to that diner down the street that serves breakfast all day for exactly that," Oliver remembered, "They were very good."

"Of course he did," Shane laughed.

"And how are things here? Have you and your cohorts made any progress?"

Shane sighed, "Unfortunately, no, we haven't-at least none that will make this program run like we need it to. In fact, we may have to start all over to try another algorithm..."

"I assume that will impact the...duration of your stay?" Oliver questioned, keenly aware that his question almost sounded like a plea for her to come home. He wasn't sure where that had come from and wondered if his companion had picked up on it.

"Unfortunately, yes," Shane replied regrettably, "But we will press on. And when we do succeed, the United States Postal Service will be a more efficient and cost effective institution."

"Spoken like a true postal visionary, Miss McInerney."

Shane smiled.

And then the silence settled in. Neither Shane nor Oliver seemed sure where to take things from there. Oliver had traveled all that way, and while he claimed it was to allow Norman the chance to oversee the DLO on his own, Shane could feel pieces missing. Wasn't it his responsibility to fill them in? Did she dare ask?

Shane wasn't brave enough to break the silence-but Oliver was.

"It truly is wonderful to see you, Shane."

It wasn't lost on her that Oliver had used her first name, but she wasn't prepared to make a decision about what that crucial detail signaled.

"Being here has certainly made me miss you-all," Shane replied, the subtle slip-and its correction-written all over her face.

And in that second it was as if the heavens opened up and the moment Oliver had been praying for since he stepped off the plane at Reagan International Airport had arrived. It was long overdue, and he was confident and at peace with the action he was about to take in a way he wasn't sure he had ever been before.

"Miss McInerney," Oliver began, "do you have any plans this evening for dinner?"

Shane stopped breathing for a minute, her eyes subtly widening at his words.

"-Because if you're available, I would very much like for you to accompany me-I am sure even the most dedicated of postal visionaries must eat at some point," he smiled a nervous smile, as if suddenly realizing he was handing Shane his future somehow.

Shane could tell just how far out his comfort zone he was stepping-what she didn't understand is why this dinner invitation felt different. They had had dinner together before, at the Mailbox Grille, at various places in different cities and states their postal adventures had taken them over the past year. Eating dinner together was as common as air or water or grass.

This time was different.


	5. Backyard

_I proudly present to you the highly anticipated next chapter of this story! I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

><p>It was her turn to say something. Did she dare take on this invitation? It seemed like a given that dinner with Oliver should happen, but as she stood before him, with a beautiful vase of flowers on her desk and back in Washington, D.C. where so much had happened for him, it seemed like some kind of trap. It was too good to be true.<p>

But then what if she did take this chance-boldly and without reservation? What if she did push, even just a little bit, to move things forward between them like Becky suggested?

And then an idea came to her.

"Yes, Oliver, but under one condition."

Kennedy rounded the corner like a bullet, and it was clear to Shane that Kennedy had, in fact, been eavesdropping on the other side of the door since asked to retrieve her second monitor. Though, to her credit, the second monitor was in hand.

"Um, of course. We are in your backyard, as it were," he graciously agreed.

With his permission, there was only one more thing she needed.

"Kennedy, can I borrow your car?"

The teen's brow furrowed and her head cocked to the side, perplexed.

Shane's move was bold. Bold indeed.

* * *

><p>Shane still wasn't sure what had come over her as she navigated the stretch of I-395 between Washington, D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia.<p>

It had occurred to her that this would likely be the one rare opportunity she might have to visit her hometown while on this side of the country. And with Oliver giving her the perfect chance to leave the confines of what had become her window-less technological prison, there seemed no better time to escape than this evening.

At the same time, it gave Shane the chance to satisfy her hunch as to just how much talent Kennedy possessed when left to her own devices. The only part of Shane's plan that was impromptu was asking Kennedy for her car, which the shocked teenager seemed more than happy to do when faced with the prospects of taking on the task of Lead Analyst in her absence.

"Now I am trusting you to stick to the plan, Kennedy," Shane reinforced with her, "I am being briefed by people with more power than we have on this project-that's the story-and it's by my very limited authority that I am putting you in charge."

"I wouldn't dare abuse it," Kennedy reassured her, a faint glimmer of mischief in her eye that Shane chose to ignore in her mounting anxiety of this move she'd made with Oliver.

"I promise not to crash your car," Shane said absentmindedly as she gathered her things together to meet Oliver.

"My parents appreciate it," Kennedy said sarcastically, noting Shane's sudden shift in attitude.

"Shane, this is probably the last out-of-turn thing I'm going to say to you for tonight, but you've _totally _got this. Did you see the look on Oliver's face when you told him where you were going was a surprise?" Kennedy encouraged, trying to get Shane back to where she needed to be to pull this off.

"Now I don't know much about you and this man besides what you've told me, yet I do know what it looks like when a guy is interested. I see my dad look at my mom the same way Oliver looks at you-and they've been blissfully married longer than I've been alive. Whatever you're doing, he's already enraptured. Keep doing that. Besides, he came all the way across the country to see you-doesn't that say enough?"

Shane truly hadn't stopped long enough to consider this very valuable truth. He had traveled across the country. And though he attributed his decision to come as an attempt to leave Norman in charge, the flowers and his sweet words about her absence being deeply felt suggested he might have had additional intentions that he had yet to voice. Yet as she passed the sign welcoming her to Alexandria, Virginia, it was she who had intentions of her own. He had stepped out of his comfort zone enough to ask, she would step outside hers in another way.

"Welcome to my hometown," Shane said with a smile, parking the car along a residential side street.

Oliver continued to take in the view for a moment longer, the cobblestone streets and brick houses were in stark contrast to their concrete jungle surroundings back in Denver.

"It's funny," he began, as if a thought was still formulating in his mind, "For a woman so steadfastly rooted in the twenty-first century, you were raised in perhaps one of the most historically significant cities our nation has to offer," he laughed.

"Well if you think that's a dichotomy, wait till you see where we're going for dinner," She teased, unbuckling her seatbelt and preparing to get out of the car.

"I suppose that will also remain a mystery until our arrival," Oliver pressed as he got out of the passenger side of the vehicle.

"Indeed, it will, Mr. O'Toole," Shane teased back.

As they walked down the quiet residential street, Shane's attention was captured by the vintage streetlights aglow from one end of the lane to the other as evening descended upon the town. Her thoughts drifted back to a time when she used to dream of walking these sidewalks arm-in-arm with the man of her dreams. There was something romantic about wandering on a warm summer night encapsulated by the stoic charm of cobblestone streets, brick-laden homes and wrought iron fences.

Now she was walking these streets with Oliver, traversing between that dream she had wished as a girl and an unknown reality still waiting to unfold.

"Here it is," she whispered breathlessly.

Madison Tavern was almost indistinguishable from the residential homes that surrounded it. This evening, however, the lights that lined the patio and each umbrella made it look like the stars had come down to personally grace the restaurant with their presence, and it left Shane in awe. Her memory simply had not done this place justice.

"Let's get a table," Oliver suggested, the look on his face a subtle fascination with this little slice of heaven Shane had found in suburbia.

* * *

><p>"I must commend you, Ms. McInerney, on your choice of restaurant," Oliver complimented as he took the last bite of his burger. "This is quite literally the best burger I have had in years."<p>

"You haven't even had their hot chocolate. You would swear it was a liquefied chocolate bar. It might literally be the best you've ever had in your life. I used to walk by here in the evening's on my way home from robotics club and the older woman whose husband owned the place always made sure I had hot chocolate to warm me up as I walked home," Shane reminisced, "The winters could be so brutal around here."

"So this place is special to you?" Oliver inquired, as if trying to take advantage of this chance to learn something more about her.

"Yes, yes it is," Shane agreed with a smile, taking a drink of her water, "but I will admit, I have never experienced it quite like this."

His head tilted to the side ever so slightly, as if urging her to go on.

"You know how you can live in a place and imagine yourself spending time here, or there, but then never do it? That's what this place is to me. I always wanted an evening like this, on the patio, under the lights with-" she hesitated, knowing the next words off her tongue would overstep the silent boundary she had set for herself as to how much interest she would establish verbally, even if everything else about her spoke infinite volumes more.

"Someone," he finished, his eye contact steady, and, perhaps for the first time, unflinching.

It was a strange thing, their dance-around their feelings, around the reality, around the truth. And yet, for this moment, it would continue.

"Yeah," she replied back, a bit more quietly than she had anticipated, but nonetheless definitively.

Oliver cleared his throat, "So tell me about that young lady, Kennedy, I believe he name is."

"She's brilliant- almost too smart for her own good. I think with the right space, she could really be a force to be reckoned with. I think the executive program will give her that," Shane gushed, not understanding how a teenager she just met had made such an impression.

"Brilliant. Too smart for her own good. Force to be reckoned with," Oliver repeated, thoughtfully, "All high praises. In fact, she sounds a lot like you."

Shane was speechless.

"And so does her eavesdropping around the corner," Oliver laughed, "I'm not sure where she acquired that monitor, but I don't believe she ever left."

She desperately wished that he wasn't right about eavesdropping not being far out of the realm of possibility for her, but he wasn't wrong. They both laughed.

When the fit of laughter subsided, Shane looked at her watch and realized her time was quickly running out.

"I suppose they expect you back," Oliver commented, his tone a bit regretful.

She looked back at him equally regretfully and nodded.

"But there's still one more thing."

* * *

><p><em>Next chapter coming soon, so stay tuned! Trust me, it's already in development! I really mean it this time. Feel free to review, also!<em>


	6. Return to Sender

_I present to you the finale! Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>As they walked the streets back towards the car, Shane couldn't tell if Oliver thought she had lost her mind or if he was actually enjoying their little excursion.<p>

"You weren't kidding about this hot chocolate, Ms. McInerney," Oliver observed, taking another sip of his drink.

She smiled, satisfied with herself, "I know." At least she could be certain he was enjoying that.

They were literally steps away from the car when Shane took an abrupt left turn onto a street whose sign was completely obstructed by the foliage of a nearby tree.

"Ms. McInerney, the vehicle is this way," Oliver corrected, slightly confused.

Shane's stride continued without hesitation, "Didn't I tell you there was one more thing?" she whispered loudly, as if suddenly conscious of disturbing someone's quiet evening.

The residential street was completely quiet as Shane continued past two more homes before stopping.

"This is it," she whispered.

"707," Oliver said aloud quietly, reading the side of the mailbox out front.

Shane looked at him as he made his way to her side. He looked as though he was on the verge of remembering something, and part of her hoped that he did.

"Taracoma Place," Oliver finished, the words falling off his lips almost reverently.

It had been over ten years since she had laid eyes on the small brick, cape cod style home with a stately porch that had a small swing installed not far from the front door. The lawn was perfectly tended, and the large oak tree seemed as stoic and timeless as it had been all her life.

"This," he said, taking in the surrounding neighborhood, and this little home's place in it, "is where you grew up."

"And it hasn't changed a bit," Shane concluded, as if that thought had given way to a realization of some kind that she felt compelled to act on. She looked both ways before darting around the corner into a narrow, cobblestone alley.

"Shane! Where are you going?" Oliver pleaded urgently, his eyes darting from side to side to see if they were being watched.

"Come and see," she whispered calmly, rounding the back of the house.

"Aren't you afraid someone is home, or that they have a dog?" Oliver continued to worry aloud.

"There is no one home, because you park along this alley and take the sidewalk up to the front of the house," Shane replied, matter-of-factly, "And if they had a dog, it would have already barked up a storm."

Shane felt her way to a cutout in the fence, identifying it as the backyard's alley exit. The latching mechanism holding the door was rather rudimentary, but was common in the surrounding residential neighborhood, which for the most part was free of crime.

"I am extremely uncomfortable with this, Ms. McInerney," Oliver insisted as she watched her unlatch the door.

Shane was persistent, "Well technically you only committed to dinner, so I have no problem letting you off the hook for anything after that."

She turned around to face him to reaffirm her sincerity, only to find that their noses were inches apart. The closeness left her temporarily breathless, especially since it appeared Oliver had no intention of retreating. The thought to close the distance hit her almost immediately, but it wasn't until she saw the same thought flash across his eyes that she bumped the fence door open with her hip, letting the prospect of an almost-kiss linger in the air. Another bold move on her part.

The backyard was as well kept as the front, various foliage and flowers lined the fences, but it was the large tree in the center of the yard to which Shane was immediately attracted.

"I used to climb this tree as a kid," Shane explained. "And when I was 16, I carved a heart into the bark…"

"You know that damages the tree, right?" Oliver questioned as he came to meet her at the base of the tree, already searching for the illusive carving.

Shane ignored him and began to let her hand gently trace the outside of the tree with her hand, feeling for the carving.

"I can't turn on my phone and risk giving away our position," she whispered fiercely, "You take the other side around and hopefully we'll feel our way to finding it and meet in the middle."

Oliver took her direction without retort. "I thought you said no one was home," he remarked.

"They aren't, but if the neighbors are anything like they were when I was younger, they see everything," Shane explained, "and I mean _everything_."

She could hear Oliver let out an exasperated sigh, this was clearly more excitement than he had anticipated for the evening.

Shane's thoughts then drifted back to the day she carved the heart into the tree. It seemed like something neat to do at the time. As long as the tree was there, so would her mark on the world would be, too. A heart was just the easiest thing to carve.

"I think I-"

"I've got-"

They startled each other, each one having made their way around the tree to the exact same spot where their hands overlapped.

His hand was so warm and soft. It was a feeling Shane couldn't allow herself to let go of, and when he didn't shy away, but seemed to be contemplating taking the same step she had so tactfully avoided just moments earlier, it only seemed to encourage the contact further.

"Shane McInerney, you amaze me," he whispered urgently, but warmly, "I travel across the country, get kidnapped and whisked away to Alexandria, Virginia, and now I am in the backyard of your childhood home, trespassing on what is now someones property to look for a carving you did in your youth, and still all I can think about is kissing you right now. It's absolutely maddening…"

Oliver had never been so candid, but clearly he had been withholding this sentiment for some time now. Shane was speechless.

"You're right, I guess I probably owe you now," she joked breathlessly as he leaned closer.

_Ring._

She could literally feel his breath.

_Ring. Ring._

"The phone, Shane, the phone," Oliver alerted her, obviously alarmed himself.

Shane was still lost in the romantic haze, but quickly realized that her phone was ringing and attracting attention. Her moment with him disappeared.

"I thought you said your phone was off!" Oliver chastised, instinctively sneaking back towards the gate. A dog barked in one of the adjoining yards.

"I meant I couldn't turn my phone on for the purpose of using the flashlight app, I didn't mean it was off entirely!" she whispered fiercely as she dashed back towards the gate.

She snuck back to the other side of the fence and secured it once more, leaning against it to catch her breath. Oliver did the same.

They turned their heads to look at each other for a second, and a contagious laughter overtook them.

"Come on, we've got to go," Oliver said, grabbing her arm and whisking her back to their borrowed car.

As they took a minute to catch their breath while safely back in the vehicle, it occurred to Shane that it could have been Kennedy on the line, whom she had given instruction to call her in the event something major occurred on the project.

She unlocked her phone and found a voicemail waiting.

_Shane, you're not going to believe this, but I think I may have found slash solved our problem. You won't believe who [coughs] I mean __what__ caused it! Give me a call or just come back. We need you to approve the test runs. And P.S. [voice lowers to a whisper] I hope you're having a good time!_

"Good girl," Shane praised.

"Good news, I hope?" Oliver inquired.

"The absolute best," Shane reaffirmed, "I might finally be coming home."

* * *

><p><em>Welcome to Flight 1010 with service to Denver International Airport...<em>

Sweeter words had never graced Shane's ears.

Kennedy had, in fact, solved the programming language problem that had cursed their project for the better part of four days. It turned out that it was her former supervisor, Jackson, who had made the error. And from his noticeable silence during the testing phase, it was apparent he was none too pleased to have been the cause of their problems. It was clearly salt in the wound that his former intern discovered the error.

The final implementation had been smooth, and the whole process had wrapped up in the early morning hours after her brief excursion with Oliver.

To celebrate, Shane had spoiled Kennedy with a Yoohoo, grabbed herself a coffee, and the two walked to the Lincoln Memorial to watch the sunrise over the Washington Mall.

"I can't believe I did it," Kennedy bragged, her genuine disbelief apparent, "I am a postal rock star."

"You definitely did something amazing," Shane agreed, "But don't let it get to your head. Now that you've solved a crisis, you'll likely be called upon to do so again."

"Well hopefully not within the next 24-48 hours, because I could really use a nap," she joked, opening her Yoohoo and taking a drink.

Shane took a moment to watch the sunrise, and reflected back on her "almost-moments" with Oliver just hours before.

"So are you going to tell me what happened on your date?" Kennedy pressed. "Please tell me you guys kissed at least."

Shane could feel her cheeks warming up. She remained silent.

"Don't do that to me, Shane," Kennedy warned. "I can't read you right now!"

Shane laughed out loud, "You don't know how comforting that actually is to hear."

Kennedy huffed, but remained silent as the red, purple and blue hues of the sunrise encapsulated the mall.

"No kiss," Shane finally confided quietly, "but lots of magic."

Shane could tell Kennedy was studying her profile, as if that admission somehow held more weight than a kiss ever could.

"So are you guys, you know-what would he probably call it? Courting? Yeah, courting, now?"

Shane thought about it for a second as she took another sip of her coffee.

"We'll see."

Shane was kind of actually going to miss Kennedy, but it was outweighed by her desire to return home. Besides, she had a feeling their paths would likely cross in the future.

As Shane placed her bag in the overhead bin of the plane headed to Denver, she looked forward to the flight home, but in particular time with her travel companion.

She settled into her seat and admired Oliver's profile as he gazed out the window. He was handsome-there was no doubt about it.

"Ready?" he asked, directing his attention to her.

Shane buckled her seatbelt, "More than you know."

They held each other's gaze for a second longer.

Oliver's face softened and he smiled, "Thank you for Alexandria."

"Thank you for coming for me," Shane replied, butterflies rising up in her stomach in a way she hadn't felt since she was a teenager.

"It was my pleasure, Ms. McInerney," he replied, adjusting his suit coat and directing his attention back out the window as the plane reached cruising altitude.

_Our estimated flight time is three hours, fifty-eight minutes..._

Shane yawned, struggling to remember the last time she had slept. Oliver's arm occupied the armrest she instinctively wanted to use to prop her head up to sleep. But after their two very close encounters, and precedent of having done so on at least one prior occasion, Shane made due and rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't say a word, but he leaned towards her to give her better access to his open shoulder. She detected a faint chuckle from Oliver, and though she didn't open her eyes, imagining his laugh was enough to put a smile on her face, too.

She spent the next ten minutes replaying the last day or so in her mind. As she drifted to sleep for the remainder of the flight, she felt Oliver's hand gently take hold of hers. Moments later, his head nestled on top of hers as he settled in for the long flight. It was the final ingredient for the perfect rest.

Shane definitely needed temporarily diverted more often.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you for coming along for the ride! I hope you enjoyed it and PLEASE review-it's kind of why I post this stuff in the first place, to share and get your reactions! And don't worry, I'll be back with some more goodness soon!<em>


End file.
